Selling Food to USDA

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) purchases a variety of 100% domestically produced and processed commodity food products. These purchases support American agriculture by providing an outlet for surplus products and encouraging consumption of domestically-produced foods. The wholesome, high-quality products purchased by USDA—collectively called USDA Foods—are delivered to schools, food banks and households in communities across the country, and are a vital component of our nation’s food safety net.

Successful USDA Foods purchasing is a coordinated effort. AMS develops products and purchase program technical requirements, manages the Web-Based Supply Chain Management System (WBSCM), and conducts the procurements (solicitations, awards, and contract management) in accordance with federal regulations and USDA policy. The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) manages the food and nutrition assistance programs, including the National School Lunch Program and The Emergency Food Assistance Program, generating demand (orders) from qualified recipients for various USDA Foods and coordinating with AMS on the purchase planning and scheduling.

AMS issues solicitations and makes purchases for over 200 different USDA Foods on an ongoing basis. Approved USDA Vendors are invited to submit offers via WBSCM. We also host an annual meeting for contractors and suppliers.